Christian Persecution Around the World

[Soldier4Christ]

Continuing Persecution in India

by Staff
March 22, 2007

The Voice of the Martyrs received several reports of continuing persecution of Christians in India this week.

On March 10, members of the Hindu militant groups VHP and Bajrang Dal attempted to stop a women's prayer meeting in the home of Pastor Amit Sidhu in Bathinda, Punjab. The incident came to the attention of other area Christians who sought to intervene. In the ensuing clash, one of the VHP members was injured. Three pastors, Kulwan Raj, Chootta Singh and Harfool Singh were subsequently charged with making an attempt on the lives of the activists. The three appeared in court on March 12 and are being held in custody. Area Christians maintain that all allegations against the pastors are false. The following day, Vijay Bhardwaj, general secretary of VHP, and Sumit Kumar, co-coordinator of Bajrang Dal, led a group of fifty Hindutva activists and tried to attack the occupants of Pastor Amit Sidhu's house. (Source: All India Christian Council)

On March 11, Pastor Matthew was returning to his home in Bangalore, Karnataka after serving as a translator at a meeting when he was ambushed by three men. He was repeatedly beaten with a cricket stump and has sustained injuries to his back and arms. It is believed the incident is in protest to a church Matthew has begun in the village of Cholanayakanahalli. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

On the evening of March 13, an independent church in the village of Tadiparti in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh was burned by Hindu militants after Christians would not yield to warnings to stop proclaiming Christ. This is the second church in the village burned to the ground in the past month. Pastor G. Premanadam has appealed to the authorities to provide protection to the Christians in the community. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians, All India Christian Council)

On March 16, Pastor John Selvan (29) and his assistant Vijay (24) were about to leave a prayer meeting in Bangalore when approximately thirty young men surrounded them. The Christians in the home managed to hide Pastor John, but Vijay was taken to a eucalyptus grove and beaten. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

On March 16, two pastors, Pastor Juan Singh Sesobia (24) and Thogabai (25), were arrested in the Khargon district of Madhya Pradesh and charged under Section 295A for a deliberate and malicious act to offend religious feelings. If convicted, the two could face up to three years in prison. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

Hindu militants in the village of Nuagad in Ganjam District, Orissa are threatening to burn the homes of twenty Christian villagers. The threats follow the defeat on March 17 of the BJP candidate in local elections. Furious, the candidate attacked one of the Christians in the village, Abraham Burdhan, chopping off a finger and inflicting serious cuts to his hands. Police have arrested seven Christians and nine BJP supporters. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

Pray for those church leaders who are presently in jail on false charges. Pray that Christians will st and firm, knowing that their comfort is in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray that the persecutors will come to know Christ's love, forgiveness and blessing through the faithfulness of these Christians (Romans 12:14, 21).

[Soldier4Christ]

Christian fired for sharing God
University, agency that sacked woman on trial in federal court

A Christian woman is battling a California university and state social agency for terminating her internship because she shared her faith with co-workers during off-hours.

Jacqueline Escobar was completing a master's degree in social work at California State University Long Beach when she interned with the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS.

A straight-A student, Escobar was complimented regularly by the DCFS for her work. But she came under scrutiny for sharing her faith with co-workers during lunch breaks and after-hours, and for changing into a shirt with a religious message – "Found" – after signing out for the day, according to the Pacific Justice Institute, which is representing her.

A trial is scheduled to begin April 3.

"Through this case, we hope to send a powerful message to government employers: you cannot trounce upon the First Amendment rights of people of faith and expect to get away with it," said Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute.

Escobar was directed to stop speaking about her faith, even during breaks and after work hours.

Also, the university ordered her to sign a document admitting she had "an inability to separate her religious beliefs from her role" as an intern.

She refused to sign the document, arguing she couldn't agree to such a sweeping prohibition that included her religious practice during non-working hours.

Consequently, Escobar was terminated from her internship and threatened with expulsion from the graduate program.

She then contacted Pacific Justice Institute and filed the federal suit.

Attorney Daniel R. Watkins argued freedom of religion is "the first and most fundamental constitutional right."

"Unfortunately, as this case illustrates, religious beliefs are under assault from every sector of government," he said. "It is our intent to ensure that people of faith working in government are afforded the protections our founding fathers intended."

As WND reported, a Christian former employee of Allstate settled a lawsuit claiming he was fired because of an anti-homosexual, anti-same-sex marriage column he wrote on his own time.

J. Matt Barber was a manager in Allstate's Corporate Security Division, its investigative arm, at the Fortune 100 company's headquarters in Northbrook, Ill. After being called into a meeting with two human resources officials who confronted Barber about the column, he was fired.

Though the original column's bio line did not indicate Barber worked for Allstate, editors at one of the sites where it was posted added that information, and a complaint about the piece made its way to Allstate management.

[Soldier4Christ]

India State "Closes" Church For Singing Loud Amid Violence Against Believers

NEW DELHI, INDIA (BosNewsLife) -- There was concern Wednesday, March 28, about the plight of evangelical Christians in the Indian state of Kerala after reports that the local government for the first time shut down a church amid violent attacks against believers.

The US-based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) with website www.persecution.org said the closure was one of "three attacks" within a month in Kerala, which so far was considered relative safe for Christians because of the large Christian community there.

In addition, Hindu militants vandalized a Christian prayer center and invaded a Pentecostal church, "physically assaulting several of the attendees," said the ICC in a statement obtained by BosNewsLife.

The ICC said the troubles began with the New Testament Pentecost Church, which was established 35 years ago and grew into 11 branches and various ministries since it managed to officially register with the government in 1996.

MUNICIPALITY NOTICE

"Four weeks ago the church received a notice from the municipality showing that the church hall would be sealed if they sang songs or did any preaching. The next day the building was sealed without an order from the high court. For the last four weeks they have been worshipping in
another house," the ICC said.

The municipality accused the church of "causing a disturbance to the neighborhood," the ICC added. The group said it learned that Muslims living in the area sued the church after a Muslim family unsuccessfully tried for 12 years to "get rid of the church" by offering money to the pastor "disturbing" worship services "by shouting loudly over their singing."

Earlier the Pastor, Sam George, was reportedly already four times summoned to the local police station. "Twice the police were favorable to him, but the last two times the police became hostile," the ICC said in its findings.

Before the closure, police already halted Sunday services 22 times, verbally abusing the church members and attempting to arrest Pastor George, Christian investigators said. Police also gained a court order against the church, prohibiting their use of a sound system "because the sound was more than 55 decibels, the volume of a normal conversation," the ICC explained.

MORE INCIDENTS

This was not an isolated incident. In two separate cases Hindu militants reportedly came on motorcycles and started throwing stones through the windows of Carmel Gospel Center on March 6 in Kooroppada village in the Pampady area near Kerala's Kottayam town.

"After a prayer meeting…we heard the sound of stoning coming from the room where our five-year-old son Barose and two-year-old daughter Basia were sleeping. We cried aloud and rushed to the room to protect them. When the attackers heard our voice, they stopped stoning and fled," the ICC quoted a Christian, identified only as Paul, as saying.

The attackers reportedly painted Hindu symbols, including the Nazi 'Swastika' on the walls opposite the compound of the Center. In a third reported attack, a radical Hindu mob allegedly vandalized a Pentecostal church on March 4 in Thiruvanandapuram district of Kerala.

"Extremists interrupted the Sunday worship service and started physically assaulting the congregation. The attack prevented the church from conducting the worship service," the ICC explained. The group suggested that the latest developments seem part of a trend in the state.

XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE

"That this sort of violence would occur in normally peaceful Kerala reveals the extent to which the xenophobic 'Hindutva' ideology has infiltrated India, as well as a growing radicalization of India’s Muslims. Rather than welcoming differences, those who follow [the] 'Hindutva' [ideology] seek to make India a country with only one religion: Hinduism."

Christians comprise 19 percent of the 31.8-million population of Kerala, according to estimates. Nationwide, only 2.3 percent of India’s population is Christian. "The fact that attacks are now occurring in Kerala will only embolden anti-Christian extremists elsewhere to attack the even more vulnerable Christians in their states," the ICC warned.

In one such development, 22 Christians were reportedly detained after being accused of "fraudulent conversion last week in Dharwad district" in the state of Karnataka. Compass Direct News, a Christian news agency, estimated that the number of incidents of persecution of Christians in has not state reached 16 in the first three months of this year.

The March 20 arrests were reportedly made in Baad village after local residents claimed the distribution of Christian literature was accompanied by insults to Hinduism and by money offered for conversion. All of the accused were later released on bail. In published remarks, the Global Council of Indian Christians , a major advocacy group, said the complaints were "false" and "baseless."

Compass Direct News quoted Christian leaders as saying that with 16 attacks thus far this year, "the number of attacks in the state could cross 60 by the end of 2007 without intervention of government and other agencies."

[Soldier4Christ]

Patrol confronts students over Christian literature 
Officer tells college team missions work 'shameful'

An officer with a state police force has confronted a team of college students on a spring break missions trip, telling them that handing out Christian literature is "shameful."

In Pakistan? India? Perhaps Syria? Nope. In Utah. Not only that, but a second officer, this one with a local police force, confronted the same students just a day later, telling them that handing out such information was "looked down on here."

Nelson Koon, of Hudsonville, Mich., and a junior at Frontier School of the Bible in LaGrange, Wyo., led the team of college students on their missions trip, and described for WND how these two incidents happened this week, starting in Payson, Utah.

"We got stopped by a police officer, the group of eight of us in a school vehicle," he said. "He said it was shameful, what we were doing."

The team had volunteered to raise their own funds and spend their spring breaks helping various Christian organizations, including TriGrace Ministries, and others in Utah hand out Christian brochures, and in one case, a DVD called "Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith".

"He said he got one on his door," Koon said of the officer. "He said, 'what were we doing, putting all these lies on the DVD?'"

"He asked us what group or church were we with, … then he chewed us out a little. He kind of warned us, then he took off," Koon reported.

"This is something absolutely unacceptable," Patrol Public Information Officer Preston Raban of the Utah State Patrol told WND when first contacted.

He later responded that the officer in question had been identified, and admitted letting his "personal feelings" take over. "That's where he became unprofessional," Raban told WND.

Koon said he's long had a heart for the American West, especially the Utah region, and when he graduates in a year from the Wyoming school that focuses on training students for Christian service, he hopes to obtain an internship in Utah to begin his work.

So when a minister from Utah visited the school and described how students could help Utah's churches, he organized the trip. "I thought it would be a good way to get a foot in the door," he said.

Team members had been canvassing towns across the state, not ringing doorbells, but simply hanging handouts on door handles and moving on, he said.

The officer, in uniform and in a state squad car, clearly was upset.

"It was like he felt bad for us, bad for our souls. He thought we were lost," Koon said.

Koon said he didn't want to make any particular organization look bad, and the overall trip was "a great experience."

"We were just going house to house hanging them [handouts and DVDs) on doors with door hangers," he said.

Koon said during the team's preparations, they had reviewed state laws they would need to follow, so felt they were on solid ground, but after the patrolman left, they saw a police station a few blocks up, and decided to stop and make sure.

"[The officer] was hiding on a side street, and he followed us when we drove by," Koon said. "He pulled up and ran into the [police station] before we could get there."

A local police officer then came out to talk with the students, and told them they were following the appropriate laws.

Koon said the second incident happened to two team members in Springville the next day.

The local municipal officer approached the team members, who were on foot this time, checked their licenses and identifications, and "basically said handing things out was looked down on in Utah," Koon said.

City spokesman Lt. Dave Caron said an officer would have been dispatched if someone complained about door-to-door sales teams.

"We have problems," he said. "Some of them [peddlers] that come out have warrants. They have warrants for a reason. They end up going into houses. It's that we have people doing door-to-door and they rip people off."

But once assured of the student's plans, there should be no further interaction, he said.

But Koon said the officers took the team members' drivers' licenses, checked them against the record and called for backup so that a second squad car was on the scene, before eventually letting the students continue.

So how soon will Koon and his team members be returning to Utah?

"As soon as possible," he told WND.

[ibTina]

If these kids were wearing suits and ties and riding on bicycles ( Mormon missionaries ) they wouldn't have been quesioned or stopped for ANY reason!!

[Soldier4Christ]

Easter exclusion from government building for NY church


A church in Watertown, New York, is fighting for what it says is its constitutional right to use the same meeting facility as other community groups -- a facility located in a government office building.



Relevant Church filed an emergency injunction this week after government officials denied them use of the Dulles State Office Building, which attorney Jordan Lawrence of plaintiff counsel Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) says is across the street from where the congregation usually meets. The church requested use of the government building because it expects attendance on Easter to exceed the capacity of its usual meeting place.

"But the state officials turned them down based on this policy that said, basically, anybody in the community can meet there except for religious services and religious activities -- and, also invoked the vague 'separation of church and state' [argument], " Jordan explained.

Despite a state policy prohibiting religious expression, Lawrence says under the U.S. Constitution fair and equal access is required for civic and religious groups to community buildings, facilities, and public locations.

ADF has filed suit for Relevant Church and Pastor Robert Miskowski in U.S. District Court.

[Soldier4Christ]

Gideons facing charges
for being on public land 
Florida says men cannot be
within 500 feet of schools

Two Florida men who wanted to give Bibles to children in their community are being charged under a state law that bans anyone from being within 500 feet of the land on which schools are built unless they have "legitimate business" or "prior authorization."

As WND reported earlier, Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson of Monroe County were arrested, booked into jail and charged with trespassing because they were handing out Bibles while standing on a public sidewalk adjacent to a school.

Those trespassing charges were dismissed on a motion from lawyers for the Alliance Defense Fund, who challenged them on factual and constitutional grounds.

But Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman told WND he'd been notified that the two men now are being re-charged under a different statute, this one banning anyone from being on public property within 500 feet of a school property without "prior authorization" or "legitimate business."

He said the law also includes an exemption for someone who lives within that distance from a school property.

"This obviously is unconstitutional for several reasons," Cortman said. "The First Amendment gives you a right to be out there and engage in speech. Is anyone who uses the sidewalk or [the adjacent] highway now in violation?"

He said another issue is the definition of "legitimate business." It's not for the government to apply those words using one definition to one group of people, and then apply those words using another definition to another group of people, he said.

"The government is not allowed to have unbridled discretion to define words in whatever manner they choose," he said.

On the face of the statute cited by the prosecutor, people driving by the school on the highway technically are in violation of the law, unless they have an exemption, and if the same exemption doesn't apply to the two members of Gideons International, then that creates a content-based speech restriction, which also isn't proper, Cortman said.

"The question I have is why is the state so intent on punishing these gentlemen for passing out Bibles on public property?" he asked. "This is just beyond comprehension."

The arrest happened Jan. 19, when Mirto and Simpson were on the sidewalk outside of Key Largo School in Key Largo, Fla., and were distributing copies of the Bible to those interested.

A written report from the ADF on the case confirmed that neither man entered school grounds. Despite that, the school's principal called police, and an officer from the Monroe County sheriff's officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals, the report said.

"Officials cannot use fear of arrest as a means of bullying law-abiding Christians into silence," Cortman said. "These men broke no laws when they decided to communicate their message on a public sidewalk."

In a statement at the outset of the case to WND, Becky Herrin, of the public information office in the Monroe County sheriff's office, stated as a fact that the defendants in the case did trespass.

"A copy of our police report (see attached) … clearly states that the people in question were arrested for trespassing on school property – not on a public sidewalk… In fact, they were given the opportunity to step off school property and onto public property, and they could have continued with their activities if they had done so. They chose instead to remain, against repeated warnings, on school property so deputies were forced to arrest them," Herrin said in a statement to WND.

But the report forwarded to WND revealed the two were arrested while in their truck in a "no parking" zone. The report said that on the complaint from school principal Annette Martinson, when the two defendants were ordered by the deputy to leave an area that included a bike path, "both defendants slowly walked away towards a teal in color pick up truck that was parked in a no parking zone in front of the school."

One suspect then wanted the officer's ID, and, "I then handed Simpson … my business card and he continued to walk toward the parked truck," said the police allegation from officer John Perez.

The officer then confirms, "I observed both defendants enter the pick up truck and remain seated inside." He watched for several minutes, then approached the pickup truck, parked in a "no parking" zone, "I asked both defendants why they where (sic) refusing to leave," and "Defendant Simpson III stated, we where (sic) just leaving."

Perez then confirmed that after he got a call from the sheriff's office notifying him that Simpson was complaining "about a deputy at the Key Largo School asking him to leave, I advised Sgt. Mixon I was out with Simpson and he was going to be placed under arrest for trespassing."

Reached after hours, Herrin told WND that she couldn't comment immediately on the update. "Given that it's after hours, I can't say one way or another on that," she said.

The Gideons, a group founded in the late 1800s, has as its "sole purpose" the goal "to win men, women, boys and girls to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through association for service, personal testimony, and distributing the Bible in the human traffic lanes and streams of everyday life."

Members of the Gideons, who pay their own expenses so 100 percent of the donations to the group go toward Bible purchases and distributions, have placed the Bible in 181 nations in 82 different languages over the years.

The organization focuses on hotels and motels, hospitals and nursing homes, schools, colleges and universities, the military and law enforcement and prisons and jails.

"The demand for Scriptures in these areas far exceeds our supplies that we are able to purchase through our donations. Much more could be done – if funds were available. However, we are placing and distributing more than 1 million copies of the Word of God, at no cost, every seven days in these areas…" the group said.

The organization only gives away the Bibles with the Gideon logo on the covers, but plain Bibles are available for consumers to purchase at its distribution center at P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, Tenn., 37214-0800. Information about the products is available on the group's website.

The Gideons serve as an extended missionary arm of the Christian church and are the oldest Christian business and professional men's association in the United States.

[nChrist]

WOW! - This case involving the Gideons is ridiculous.

Gay, lesbian, and transgender folks are allowed inside the school to distribute their filthy garbage. In fact, this filthy garbage is being pushed as a part of the school curriculum.

Gideons don't force anyone to take a Bible. There is a push to force parents and children to accept the filthy garbage of perverts inside the school, but Gideons can't pass out Bibles on a public sidewalk.   ???

Things used to be the exact opposite. Gideons were welcome inside any school. It hasn't been that long ago that it was a felony to expose minors to the type of material that is being forced on school children by gay, lesbian, and transgender organizations. SO, perverts are welcome in the classrooms inside the schools, and Gideons aren't allowed anywhere near the school grounds.

This is all very simple. Parents should say NO! to the perverts and YES! to the Gideons. If this isn't possible, we need to abandon the public schools. If there is a place that Gideons aren't permitted to go, that place should not be proper for any decent people to go, especially our children. It really boils down to the devil being invited and GOD being banished. Decent people should have no desire to go to a place like that.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen to that.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ethiopian Christian evangelist beaten to death in Muslim mosque

Christians in southeast Ethiopia face increased violence and tension as Muslims recently beat an evangelist to death.



Last week, an Ethiopian evangelist named Tedase was beaten and killed by Muslims as he and two young women were taking part in street witnessing. While the women escaped, witnesses say Muslims chased the man, caught up with him, pulled him into a mosque, and attacked him.

Sara Jennings with International Christian Concern (ICC) says such attacks are not new throughout southeast Ethiopia, which many people believe is a Christian nation. "[But] Muslim extremism has really become a stronghold there," she explains.

"Six months ago, in September, there were people attacked in Jima," she shares, adding that "a number of Christian homes, churches, and orthodox parishes were burned down -- at least 2,000 people were displaced during that incident."

According to Jennings, Saudi Arabia is responsible for much of the violence in the east African nation. That oil-rich nation, she says, is "funneling a large amount of money" into Ethiopia to build mosques. "And not just to build mosques," she adds, "but to finance training centers where very extremist ideologies are taught to young people, which really breeds hate."

Evangelical church leaders say if police ignore Tadase's death, it will empower radical Muslims and encourage them to attack Christians without fear of retribution. The ICC recently included Ethiopia in its "Hall of Shame" list, which highlights countries where Christians are enduring harsh persecution.

[airIam2worship]

WOW! - This case involving the Gideons is ridiculous.

Gay, lesbian, and transgender folks are allowed inside the school to distribute their filthy garbage. In fact, this filthy garbage is being pushed as a part of the school curriculum.

Gideons don't force anyone to take a Bible. There is a push to force parents and children to accept the filthy garbage of perverts inside the school, but Gideons can't pass out Bibles on a public sidewalk.   

Things used to be the exact opposite. Gideons were welcome inside any school. It hasn't been that long ago that it was a felony to expose minors to the type of material that is being forced on school children by gay, lesbian, and transgender organizations. SO, perverts are welcome in the classrooms inside the schools, and Gideons aren't allowed anywhere near the school grounds.

This is all very simple. Parents should say NO! to the perverts and YES! to the Gideons. If this isn't possible, we need to abandon the public schools. If there is a place that Gideons aren't permitted to go, that place should not be proper for any decent people to go, especially our children. It really boils down to the devil being invited and GOD being banished. Decent people should have no desire to go to a place like that.

AMEN, I think that if at all possible every parent should make the utmost effort to home school their children. If that was to happen I believe that many public schools would be closing and many teachers would be out of work, but at least the spread of that garbage would not be distributed to as many children.
Folks it is plain to see that we are definitely nearing the end times. I don't honestly believe that it will be getting any better before the Rapture, this is the prophetic Word of God and we are living to see it come to pass. There is no doubt in my mind that for those who do not believe, they should look into the Word and see for themselves.

Thank GOD, that we look forward to living in a Kingdom where only righteousness will prevail.

[nChrist]

Hello Sister Maria,

I can tell you that many school teachers have had almost all they can stand of public schools. So far, my wife has been forced to stop anything remotely associated with GOD, but she hasn't been forced to teach or distribute ungodly materials. We haven't been hit with the ungodly materials here yet, but GOD has been completely removed from all grades. When the ungodly material mandates hit, most teachers here will refuse, and that means they will be fired.

Many good teachers have already left the profession, and many others have left to teach in Christian schools. Christian schools here are getting stronger by the day, and the same needs to happen everywhere. There are also record numbers of parents who are homeschooling their children, and the numbers are getting higher by the day.

I agree that we probably won't see much improvement in our public schools, but we can at least slow the devil down and start developing other alternatives. Money will be a major issue in what most people can afford, so homeschooling appears to be the best alternative for most families. In thinking about homeschooling, I think it would greatly strengthen every Christian home and make the forces of darkness furious. So, homeschooling is sounding better by the day.

Love In Christ,
Tom

2 Peter 3:3-13 NASB  Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

[Soldier4Christ]

While it is still possible to home school our children today even that option is being attacked by the devil. There are those that are pushing to have laws passed that would prevent home schooling. In fact if some get their way even the Christian schools will either be closed or forced to teach the same garbage that is being implemented in the public schools.

It is becoming more and more important for Christians to become involved in the fight against the evil indoctrination of our children.

[nChrist]

Pastor Roger,

Brother, this country wouldn't be worth living in if we were forced to indoctrinate our children in the ways of the devil. I'll simply pray and remain optimistic. If I have anything to say about this, my grandchildren WILL NOT be taught this garbage. I must add that my children feel the same way. If the alternatives are removed after all of the legal battles, I honestly think that many Christians would leave this country. I also think that many other lawful things would be tried before it ever got to this point. There has even been some talk of forming some Christian states. When it gets right down to it, the Federal government has no right under the Constitution to dictate anything about education to the states. What's being done right now is NOT CONSTITUTIONAL. The argument is extremely simple and logical, almost impossible to interpret any other way. However, there are many things done these days that are Unconstitutional! Some massive class action suits by Christians just might be the right medicine for government grossly overstepping their legal authority. The government is the servant of the people - not the other way around. The people dictate - not the government, and it might be past time for some lessons.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen, it is past time for some lessons in government for those that think that government knows better than the people. Yes, it is going to be a fight. I am reminded of Jesus' words in Mark:

Mar 13:12  Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
Mar 13:13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

It is easy to see that our government is heading in a direction to make these very words come true. It is past time for Christians to join together, to be strong and to stand up in the name of the Lord.